Milton Keynes cancer survivor organises five-year amputation anniversary skydive for charity

Luke Bayley has organised the fundraiser, with the help of five friends, in aid of CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children.

So far the GoFundMe page has raised £710 towards his £1,500 goal.

Luke, of Stony Stratford, said: “0n June 25, me, my family and close friends, will be throwing ourselves out of a plane at 13,000ft, all in aid of raising money for a great cancer charity, Clic Sergeant, now known as young lives vs cancer.”

Luke explained his leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with bone cancer in April 2017.

He said: “In May my life changed for ever; a month earlier I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the bone in my left leg. Due to the aggressive form of cancer and how fast it was spreading the only option was to amputate my leg above the the knee,

“I was 24 years of age. This was followed up by five rounds of chemotherapy when I would stay in hospital a week at a time.

“Five years down the line and it all seems like a distant memory but to mark the occasion, I wanted to do something and give something back to a charity that helped me so much, all the way throughout and, after my treatment.

“Whether this was paying my fuel to get back and fourth to the endless hospital appointments, funding a games room at the hospital with PS4, books, board games etc, just to give you a break and some normality while staying over in hospital, and the great support worker on hand 24 hours a day if I needed to speak to someone other than family or the doctors.

“So I'm raising money to benefit CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children, and any donation will help make an impact.”

To his credit Luke has not allowed his disability to hold him back and is slowly rebuilding his life.

He added: “Things right now are absolutely great, physically and mentally I’m in the best shape of my life. I play para badminton and amputee football to a high level (even playing on BT sport last year, where I won the FA disability cup with Peterborough United). This has been great for me to find myself again.

"Right now I’m out of work. before my amputation I was in the construction industry. I had 2 and half up years of treatment and getting used to life as a disabled person and then the pandemic hit, so finding work has been a struggle but long term I have ambitions of being a support worker to others who are going through what I have or similar.”

About CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children

“When a child is diagnosed with cancer it threatens everything, for them and their family. At a time when they should be busy being children, enjoying their rollercoaster teenage years or finding their feet at uni, life becomes full of fear. We know everyone’s different, so we work hard to make sure each family has what they need to get through cancer. It could be a financial grant or helping a young person who can’t afford to get to hospital.